During a surgical procedure, a surgical microscope is used to view a surgical field, such as the patient's eye. A surgical console for use in a surgical procedure includes various systems used to perform the surgical procedure. For example, the surgical console may have a light source to illuminate the surgical field, a drive system to operate a surgical probe, a fluidics subsystem to control intraocular pressure, among other features. Various tools, such as an illuminator, a vitrectomy probe, and an infusion cannula, are connected to the surgical console. These tools may be inserted into a patient's eye by a user, such as a surgeon or other medical professional, during the surgical procedure. The user may perform the surgical procedure by manipulating one or more of the tools while viewing the surgical field through the surgical microscope.
Typically, the tools' operating settings are controlled on the surgical console itself. The operating settings for different tools may include a desired intraocular pressure, a desired cut speed, and a desired illumination level, among others. In some instances, dials or knobs on the console are used to change these settings. In other instances, a touch screen display is integrated in the surgical console. The user may interact with a graphical user interface (GUI) of the console display to make changes.
Changing a console setting during a procedure disrupts the procedure. For example, the user may need to look up from the microscope optics, move to the console, and manually change the setting on the console. Alternatively, the user may call out what changes he or she wants made to an assistant who must then move to the console to manually change the setting. Such procedures to change console settings introduce inefficiencies into the surgical workflow. Rather than maintaining focus on the surgical field, the user's attention and/or body are diverted to the surgical console or an assistant is required solely to respond to the user.